One warm June morning in 2009 I was travelling to HMP Garth where I was writer in residence.
I had a rough outline of a lesson plan for my writing group that day but it was thrown out of the window when I turned on the car radio and heard the news Michael Jackson had died.
I didn't know Michael Jackson personally but his presence had been around for as long as I could remember.
It was the soundtrack to a 24 hour coach trip on our return from a French school trip. 'She's Out Of My Life' was playing on repeat as I snoozed on the seat stealing the odd glance at my current crush, Andrew Smith sleeping just a few feet away from me.
"Don't Stop Til You Get Enough " was the song that had everyone on the dancefloor at the school disco whose faces I can clearly see even though it has been 40 years since I last saw them.
"We are the World" reminds me of the elation of staying up all night with my friends watching the Live Aid concert.
Despite his court battles and personal struggles his music remains deeply embedded in my consciousness.
After hearing the news of Michael Jackson's death I decided to abandon my lesson plan and create a new lesson called, Death of an Icon which proved to be the most popular writing session.
The pens kept rolling as personal stories were woven within the lives of the men and Biggie Smalls, Elvis and Roy Orbison.
It appears that while we may never have met people in the public eye, their lives can entwine so neatly with ours that they establish deep-seated roots.
The public outpouring when Diana died touched me in a different way.
I was up in the early hours nursing my two-month-old daughter when the news came on the radio that she had died. It may have been the hormones or the feelings of sadness at a mother of young children dying too soon that had me in floods of tears.
And when I left the church hall on high in April 2016 after teaching my first Teen Yoga class my mood plummeted when I heard again on a (different) car radio that Prince had died.
So yesterday when I heard Sir Tom had died I felt a stirring of emotions but it was different.
There was a tear in my eye and a sadness on my heart as I watched the news run through the past events which brought Captain Sir Tom into our lives.
But there was something else.
A smile on my face.
Isn't it strange to feel sadness and joy at the same time?
And as I watched the news I realized I was not alone, the news presenters, journalists and NHS workers who were discussing Captain Sir Tom were feeling the same too.
There was something else too.
The privilege of witnessing a life lived well.
Thank You Captain Sir Tom.
Goodnight.
God Bless!
There was a silence at the beginnin of pmq on the radio yesterday and I just stood still for a moment and pictured Captain Tom and thought about how he has made such a huge impact on so many people that will last long after he is now gone, 'the clap' for him tonight in our street was impressive and deserved and I got what you described, the sadness and the smile simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteThat is sad about Capt. Tom, but how amazing to go out after raising millions, and inspiring the world! I would be okay with that.
ReplyDeleteI was a mess when Diana died (it was a week after my grandad died, and 2 weeks from when my dad died - it was a bad year). I was shocked about Michael Jackson, but too many personal issues there (I've seen "Finding Neverland" - shudder). I was heartbroken when David Bowie died.
I was really sad to hear that he had died but what an amazing thing he achieved in his last year of life!
ReplyDeleteCaptain Tom, what a legend. He certainly led an incredible life. Lulu xXx
ReplyDeleteHun, you write so eloquently. The news of Captain Tom's passing reached Australia too. A life well lived, indeed. X
ReplyDeleteCaptian Sir Tom was an inspiration to us all, a reminder that it's never too late to make a difference. xxx
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